Many Facez
Artist: Tracey Lee
Community Score: 7.00

"The Theme (It's Party Time)" was a killer first single, complete with a nagging hook and thumping grooves. Tracey Lee's debut album, Many Facez, doesn't quite live up to the high standards of "The Theme," but it's not for lack of trying. Instead of working the same party groove, Lee is all over the place, not only musically but also with his... Read More

The Collection, Vol. 1
Artist: Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
Community Score: 8.49

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony had only released two albums and an EP, plus a handful of side projects, when they released Collection, Vol. 1 in the fall of 1998. Usually, that would be the sign of a rip-off, but since their albums have been notoriously uneven, this functions as a useful summary for both casual and hardcore fans alike, since it contains... Read More

Fearless
Artist: Marvaless

Although Marvaless refuses to abandon her hardline hardcore hip-hop stance, the years have treated her well, if her fourth album Fearless is anything to go by. She's still spinning gangsta tales, with all the violence, sex and dope clichés that entails, but her music is tougher and catchier than before, and her lyrical flow is the best it has... Read More

The Shadiest One
Artist: WC
Community Score: 5.73

As his first solo release since Westside Connection's hit effort, The Shadiest One was positioned as WC's breakthrough to the major league of rap superstars. The hardcore edge that dominated his earlier releases with the Maad Circle has been tamed somewhat, so he can reach a wider audience. Of course, he still retains his gangsta image, relying... Read More

Life After Death - CLEAN
Artist: The Notorious B.I.G.
Community Score: 5.00

It may have taken the Notorious B.I.G. a few years to follow up his milestone debut, Ready to Die (1994), with another album, but when he did return with Life After Death in 1997, he did so in a huge way. The ambitious album, intended as somewhat of a sequel to Ready to Die, picking up where its predecessor left off, sprawled across the span of... Read More

Lunitik Muzik
Artist: The Luniz

The Luniz' name is pronounced "loonies," and the Oakland rap duo lives up to that name on Lunitik Muzik, one of the most memorable rap releases of 1997. This eccentric effort must be taken for exactly what it is -- wild, nutty, outrageous fun. When Yukmouth and Numskull (whose guests on the CD range from the 2 Live Crew, Too Short and Redman to... Read More

L' Ecole du Micro D'Argent
Artist: IAM
Community Score: 9.00
Ghetto D
Artist: Master P
Community Score: 7.80
Wrecreation
Artist: Stanford Prison Experiment

This rote punk disc doesn't offer any surprises: angry young white-boy anthems like "I'm a War" and "Nails That Stick Up Get Nailed Down," but the thrash is enough to kill the pain of life for a few minutes. ~ Tim Sheridan, All Music Guide Read More

Life After Death
Artist: The Notorious B.I.G.
Community Score: 7.93

It may have taken the Notorious B.I.G. a few years to follow up his milestone debut, Ready to Die (1994), with another album, but when he did return with Life After Death in 1997, he did so in a huge way. The ambitious album, intended as somewhat of a sequel to Ready to Die, picking up where its predecessor left off, sprawled across the span of... Read More

Greatest Hits - DEATH ROW
Artist: 2Pac
Community Score: 8.69

Greatest Hits is a strange release. Sure, Tupac Shakur had more than enough hits to make a terrific compilation, but its appearance in the fall of 1998 felt a bit like another opportunity to milk his catalog, simply because of the plethora of releases, from previously unheard recordings to interview discs and bootlegs. Even with these misgivings... Read More